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By Root 498 0

love to drink wine with dinner, I don’t otherwise drink much alcohol. My friends, on the other hand, adore cocktails, so many of my drink recipes can be adapted to include liquor. I gravitate to ice-cold, fruity, citrusy concoctions that are delicious with or without a shot of flavored rum or vodka. Even hot apple cider, which is my favorite drink around Christmas, is enhanced for some by a nice shot of rum. The rich smell of cinnamon and apples warms the spirit as much as sipping it warms the body.

limeade

strawberry daiquiri

mint lemonade

sweet sun tea

long island iced tea

hot apple cider

limeade

The limes we grew in Texas are almost a hybrid lemon-lime and we used them to make “ades.” It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized other people usually used lemons, not limes. This is the recipe I grew up with, and it works just as perfectly with the limes you can buy at the store as it did with the limes we grew.

MAKES ABOUT 7½ CUPS; 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Juice from 8 limes (about 1 cup)

½ cup sugar or to taste

Ice, for serving

1. In a large pitcher, place 6 cups of room temperature water along with the lime juice and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Place in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour. Divide among 4 or 6 glasses and serve over ice.

strawberry daiquiri

We felt so fancy and elegant as children, sipping “virgin” strawberry daiquiris out of beautiful glasses. I still enjoy these without the rum, but when I do add it, I always choose a flavored rum for the delicious tropical fruit flavor it adds.

MAKES 3½ CUPS; 2 TO 3 SERVINGS

5 ounces frozen strawberries

½ banana

1 6-ounce can frozen lemonade

½ lemonade can (6 tablespoons; 3 ounces) of coconut, banana, or pineapple rum (optional)

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

About 12 (3½ cups) ice cubes or as needed

Up to ½ cup fresh orange juice, or to taste

1. In a blender, place the strawberries, banana, and frozen lemonade. Fill the empty lemonade can halfway with rum and add it to the blender with the sugar and ice. Blend until well combined and slushy. Add orange juice to thin the mixture if necessary or more ice cubes to make it thicker.

2. Divide among 2 or 3 glasses and serve.

mint lemonade

We had lemon trees and mint all over our ranch when I was a kid. I don’t remember when I tasted the two together for the first time, but since then I’ve never liked lemonade any other way. For kids or anyone not drinking alcohol, it’s a fabulously festive and beautiful nonalcoholic treat. Or add a shot of rum or vodka to each glass and make a cocktail out of it!

MAKES 3 CUPS; ABOUT 4 SERVINGS

FOR THE LEMONADE

½ cup sugar

¼ cup hot water

½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 4 lemons)

FOR MINT LEMONADE (2 SERVINGS)

About 12 (3½ cups) ice cubes

1½ cups lemonade, plus more if needed

6 to 7 sprigs of fresh mint, plus more for garnish

1. To prepare the lemonade, place the sugar and hot water in a 2-quart container. Close tightly and shake until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and enough cold water to make 3 cups total. Shake until well combined.

2. To make 2 servings of mint lemonade, place the ice in a blender—it should fill the blender about halfway. Pour over the lemonade. Pull the leaves off the mint and add to the blender. Puree until well blended and slushy. If too liquidy, add more ice and puree; if too slushy, add a little more lemonade and puree until well blended.

3. Pour into two 12-ounce glasses. Garnish each with a mint sprig and serve immediately.

FROM AUNT ELSA’S KITCHEN Citrus fruit such as limes, lemons, and oranges should always be stored at room temperature. Don’t try to juice citrus that has been stored in the refrigerator; it does not release its juice as readily when it is cold.

sweet sun tea

In the South, we mean it when we offer you a tall glass of sweet tea—it is sweet! This is the real thing, infused with help from the hot sun and sweet enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. Make sure to add the sugar right after you bring the warm tea in from